Hat man charged with kidnapping

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on January 19, 2023.

A Medicine Hat man has been charged with kidnapping a woman after soliciting a casual housekeeping employment opportunity on social media.

According to the Medicine Hat Police Service, they responded to a call on Jan. 14 from a woman who reported she had been confined to a vehicle and driven to a secluded area against her will. She was able to exit the accused’s vehicle as it slowed on Saamis Drive NW and called 911.

Police say officers responded immediately and found the woman walking in the same area. Based on the information she provided, the suspect vehicle and the male accused were located a short time later.

In consultation with the Crown prosecutor’s office, MHPS has charged 65-year-old Lester Landry with one count of kidnapping. Landry was released from custody with a condition to not contact the victim and is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Feb. 28.

Prior to charges being laid, the MHPS investigation revealed the woman had arranged to be picked up by the accused in Medicine Hat after responding to a request for house cleaning services posted by the accused on social media.

Police say Landry, who lives in Medicine Hat, and the complainant are not believed to have been known to one another before the alleged incident.